About Cindy

Baking This Week? I’m sure I’m not the only one baking this week. While most people make the same traditional cookies and cakes that they make every year, I’m betting a number of you are like me and ready to try something different. I have some Irish friends who are amazing bakers. If you’ve ever stayed at a B&B in Ireland, you know how good the Irish are at baking. I thought I’d try to find out what...

People like to eat different things at Christmas time, foods that we don’t get the rest of the year. Not that the traditional turkey, ham, and mashed potatoes aren’t welcomed, but often our taste goes international. We at the Irish Fireside of course crave Irish dishes. But no use recommending the dishes we already know about. What about something different? Flavored Mash Adding something to your traditional mashed potatoes can make...

Following the Pilgrims According to A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland by Samuel Lewis, 1837, Cranfield Point on the banks of Lough Neagh in County Antrim was the site of pilgrimage this time of year. There lies the remains of a 13th-century church, described by Lewis as “a noble pile of ruins.” And nearby a holy well said to be blessed with the healing powers of St. Olcan. This saint may not be well known today, but St....

If you’re Irish-American, you should know about Annie Moore. She’s the Irish teenager who came through Ellis Island when it opened in 1892, the very first person to be registered at the new immigration station. According to www.ellisisland.org, Annie was just fifteen when she came to New York from Queenstown (now Cobh) in County Cork with her two younger brothers, Anthony and Phillip. In fact, the day she arrived happened...

Who’s up for cooking a traditional Irish Christmas dinner? It will take some advanced planning, so here are some tips and recipes to get you going. Christmas dinners traditionally feature a roasted goose. Turkeys are a more recent substitution. Other dishes included three types of potato dishes: roasted, boiled, and mashed. You might also find roasted parsnips, cabbage, and brussels sprouts. For dessert you’d have plum pudding....